Crew, Cox named York Athletes of the Year

York University Lions thrower Brittany Crew and soccer player Michael Cox were named the female and male athletes of the year, respectively, at the 48^th annual Interuniversity Athletics Banquet on Thursday night (March 31).
 
Crew becomes the first female in 31 years to win the award in back-to-back seasons, while Cox becomes the fourth men's soccer player to win the award and keeps the honour on the men's soccer team for the second year in a row.
 
Also receiving major awards at the event were Sheereen Harris from the women's track and field team and Colm Vance from the men's soccer team, who took home the Bryce M. Taylor Award and the Outstanding Male Graduate Award respectively, and Ayo Agusto, who was named the recipient of the Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy. Nikki Carnovale from women's tennis and Jesse Amankwaa from the Lions football team were named the top rookies of the year, and soccer coach Carmine Isacco received the coach of the year award for the second year in a row.
 
Female Athlete of the Year: Brittany Crew, Track & Field
Crew, from East York, Ont., won nearly everything possible this year en route to establishing herself as the best thrower in the country. She set personal bests in the weight throw and shot put at the York Open in the middle of the season and swept the gold medals in the shot put and weight throw events at the OUA and CIS championships. She also set the CIS Championships record in the shot put and earned the OUA and CIS field events athlete of the year awards and was also a first-team OUA all-star and CIS first-team all-Canadian.
 
Male Athlete of the Year: Michael Cox, Soccer
Cox, of Calgary, was the top player on the best men's soccer team in the country this year. He was the leading goal scorer in the CIS with 24 total goals on the season, and he was especially clutch in the playoffs scoring eight goals in six games including a hat-trick in the CIS quarter finals. He was named the CIS Championships Tournament MVP, a CIS Tournament All-star, and OUA first-team star during the regular season. After the season Cox signed a pro contract with the Orlando City B of the United Soccer League.
 
Bryce M. Taylor Award: Sheereen Harris, Track and Field
Harris, of Toronto, is the fifth track and field athlete to win the Bryce M. Taylor Award, which is presented to a graduating female student who has, throughout her undergraduate years made outstanding contributions to interuniversity athletics at York University. Harris has been an extremely engaged student-athlete in her five years with the Lions. On the track she is a five-time medallist at the CIS Championships and seven-time medallist at the OUA Championships. She is also a multiple time CIS first-team and second-team all-Canadian, and first-team and second-team OUA all-star. She has been captain of the women's track and field team since 2012 and has also been the leader within the varsity athletics community. She has served as President of York Sport Council for the last two years, has coordinated the Lions 4 Lions program, volunteered as a peer mentor in the PAWS program, and has helped organize many community and charitable events. She is also a three-time CIS academic all-Canadian and this season she was recognized by both the OUA and CIS as the Student-Athlete Community Service award winner for her outstanding contributions as a student-athlete. 
 
Outstanding Male Graduate Award: Colm Vance, Soccer
Vance, from Bradford, Ont., is the recipient of the Outstanding Male Graduate Award, which is given to a male student who has, throughout the undergraduate years, made outstanding contributions to York University. Vance established himself as one of York's top student-athletes in his five years with the Lions. His athletic accomplishments are numerous as he is a three-time OUA Champion, two-time CIS Champion, and was an OUA West First-team all-star in 2015. He also only allowed one goal in the 2015 CIS playoffs and was named MVP of the CIS semi-final game. He has been the co-captain of the men's soccer team for the last two seasons and has been an incredible leader and role model for his teammates. In addition to his success on the field, he is a four-time CIS academic all-Canadian, he is a student-mentor in the PAWS program, a team representative on the York Sport Council and is involved in numerous community outreach initiatives and charitable causes. 
 
Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy: Ayo Agusto
Agusto, from Lagos, Nigeria, becomes the third track and field athlete to win the Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy since it was created in 1979. The award recognizes a student-athlete within the interuniversity sport program who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, enthusiasm for life and the consideration of others. Agusto has epitomized perseverance throughout his York career. He started as a walk-on athlete and became and individual champion at the CIS Championships in the 300m. This year he fought through a groin injury in the indoor season that limited him to two meets in early January. He sacrificed running his individual 300m at the OUA Championship to help the men's 4x400m team qualify for the CIS Championships. In his five years at York, Agusto has grown not only as an athlete but more importantly as an individual. He has grown into one of the leaders on the track and field team and was always an athlete who would lay it on the line for his team and teammates in each and every race he was in and always gave his 100% effort.
 
Coach of the Year: Carmine Isacco, Soccer
Isacco is the York coach of the year for the third time after also winning the award in 2011 and last year. He was tremendous in 2015, leading the Lions men's soccer team to a 19-1-2 record and the OUA and CIS banners. The Lions were far and away the best team in the CIS this year and they have consistently been among the top programs in the CIS since he took over in 2007. The team has now won three CIS Championships under Isacco and won back-to-back national titles for the first time in school history.
 
Female Rookie of the Year: Nikki Carnovale, Tennis
Carnovale, of Woodbridge, Ont., is the second women's tennis player to win the rookie of the year award. She was dominant this season in helping the women's tennis team to a Canadian University Championship and OUA Silver medal. She was named as OUA Player of the Year in her rookie season and was also named an OUA All-Star.
 
 Male Rookie of the Year: Jesse Amankwaa, Football
Amankwaa, from Etobicoke, Ont., is the first football player to win the rookie of the year award and put together one of the best seasons ever by a Lions rookie. He was the first York Lions player to be named the OUA rookie of the year since 1996 and was also named to the OUA all-rookie team. He ranked sixth overall in the OUA with 689 rushing yards and was first among OUA rookies in carries, rushing yards, and touchdowns.
 
Lions Legacy Awards – Marty Alaimo, Sheereen Harris, Megan Lee, and Colm Vance
 
MVPs
Men's Basketball, Nathan Culbreath
Women's Basketball, Ishanaa Seupersadsingh
Men's Cross Country, Suraj Sharma
Women's Cross Country, Nina Sieh
Field Hockey, Paige Warner
Football, Hussein Hazime
Men's Hockey, Mark Cross
Women's Hockey, Megan Lee
Women's Rugby, Marty Alaimo
Men's Soccer, Michael Cox
Women's Soccer, Nour Ghoneim
Men's Tennis, Filip Obucina
Women's Tennis, Nikki Carnovale
Men's Track and Field, David McKay
Women's Track and Field, Brittany Crew
Men's Volleyball, Arthur Szwarc
Women's Volleyball, Celeste Witzell
Men's Wrestling, Tyler Tate-Austin
Women's Wrestling, Alexandria Town
  
Most Improved Team – Men's Hockey
 
Sport Council Award – Sheereen Harris, Women's Track and Field
 
Roar Cup – Women's Hockey
 
Senior Athletic Therapist of the Year– Nick Halkidis
 
Spirit Cup Award – Men's Volleyball Team Bench Players